Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction

Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction chronicles the decades-long collaboration between Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder and his editor Richard Todd. The book combines practical writing advice with personal experiences from both authors' careers in publishing. Through alternating perspectives, Kidder and Todd explore the fundamentals of nonfiction writing, including narrative techniques, structure, and style. They examine specific challenges in four main categories of nonfiction: narratives, essays, memoirs, and criticism. The authors share their editorial process through real examples from Kidder's work, revealing the evolution of manuscripts from early drafts to final versions. Their discussion covers the technical and ethical considerations of nonfiction writing, from research methods to questions of truth and accuracy. The book serves as both a practical guide and a reflection on the nature of writing itself, exploring how writers and editors work together to transform raw material into compelling nonfiction. Its insights apply to both beginning writers and established professionals seeking to refine their craft.

Readers found this book offers practical writing advice while demonstrating strong technique through its own prose. Many appreciated the collaboration between Kidder and his editor Todd showing the editorial relationship in action. Likes: - Clear explanations of narrative techniques - Real examples from Kidder's writing process - Focus on craft rather than theory - Insights into writer-editor dynamics Dislikes: - Too much memoir/personal content for some readers - Basic advice that experienced writers may find obvious - Structure feels loose and meandering - Limited focus on magazine/journalistic writing One reader noted: "The sections on narrative structure and handling time were worth the price alone." Another said: "Less a writing manual than a conversation about writing." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (130+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.9/5 (40+ ratings) The book resonated more with beginning writers seeking foundational guidance than with advanced writers looking for new techniques.

On Writing Well by William Zinsser The book presents principles of writing craft through analysis of exemplary nonfiction passages and techniques for clarity in prose.

Draft No. 4 by John McPhee A master of literary journalism shares his methods for structure, reporting, and revision through examination of his own work process.

Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg Through examination of sentence-level construction, the book builds a foundation for creating precise, effective nonfiction prose.

Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark The text breaks down 50 specific writing techniques through examples from journalism, essays, and narrative nonfiction.

The Art of Time in Memoir by Sven Birkerts The book examines how writers structure time and memory in nonfiction through close reading of contemporary memoirs.

🖋️ Tracy Kidder won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for "The Soul of a New Machine," making him one of the pioneers of narrative nonfiction about technology and business. 📝 The book emerged from a decades-long collaboration between Kidder and his editor Richard Todd, who worked together at The Atlantic Monthly magazine since the early 1970s. 📚 Throughout "Good Prose," Kidder reveals that many of his most successful works began as failures—complete drafts that were ultimately abandoned and rewritten from scratch. ✍️ The authors argue against the common writing advice "show, don't tell," suggesting instead that effective nonfiction requires a careful balance of both showing and telling. 📖 The book's structure mirrors the actual writing process, moving from initial drafts through revisions, and includes real examples of edited passages from Kidder's work to demonstrate how good writing evolves.